1. Technical Field
The invention generally relates to apparel. More specifically, the invention relates to body garments, which may be camouflaged, bag type, capes, trousers or hunters' garments. In greater detail, the invention is a garment of a type known as a ghillie suit, famous for providing exceptionally effective three-dimensional camouflage. An aspect of the invention relates to specific plans and methods of construction that produces a ghillie suit that can be worn as a garment or converted for alternative uses in the field, including combination with other similar ghillie suites to form broad areas of camouflage.
2. Background Art
Many hunting and military settings require the use of camouflage clothing or covers to avoid detection from either animals or an opponent. Camouflage coverings are applied to disguise individuals and to cloak equipment, supplies, vehicles and weapons. The best concealment apparel or coverings possess a natural three-dimensional camouflage effect. Such camouflage efficiently blends with background foliage, obscuring it from observation.
The ghillie suit originated in Scotland hundreds of years ago. It provides what is known as three-dimensional camouflage because it has substantial thickness. The surface is physically irregular and uneven, often formed of camouflage strips, which typically are leaf-like surface elements connected to an underlying web, net, fabric, or other substrate. Frequently, camouflage strips are cloth strips or strings tied to the substrate. In contrast, two-dimensional camouflage refers to a common flat, woven, or sheet fabric, even though it may carry a camouflage pattern. The ghillie suit can be adapted to any background environment by attaching camouflage strips of a suitable mix or colors to match the background and fade into it. The typical objective of this type of camouflage is to blend into the background and be nondescript. The objective is sometimes stated as to appear essentially as nothing, due to the blend of colors and obscured shape of the wearer. Such suits find application in many areas, including military, hunting, or any situation where an observer wishes to remain unnoticed.
In keeping with the general goal of a ghillie suit to blend into the surroundings, it is designed to be worn without establishing a distinct shape on the wearer. Often it is not worn, at all. Rather, it may be a softly shaped panel of material, and the user merely remains beneath it while the panel lies on the ground. The material typically is netting or mesh that carries the leaf-like elements or camouflage strips. This construction allows the wearer or user to see through the material without requiring shaped definition of any particular headpiece with eye openings. The wearer can lie under the panel in any location or configuration. The panel is equally suitable to serve as a blind, a tent, a covering, or a worn suit.
These many utilities and modes of use create a need for versatility in design and construction. Several designs for a convertible garment are known in patent art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,747 to Sabo shows a recent garment design using a rectangular panel that stores in an attached fanny pack. The panel is formed of mesh netting and carries a system of straps and D-rings that permit various connections to be made to define different useful configurations. In one of these, part of the panel can be configured as leggings to aid mobile use, while the remainder loosely covers the upper torso. In another, the entire panel can be formed into a tube around the user. In still another, the entire panel is used off the body, staked in place as a stationary blind or tent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,122 to Steverson shows a camouflaged coat that converts among several lengths. Buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like provide conversion. Other adjustments create leggings or even a coverall suit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,805 to Calutoiu shows a convertible sleeping bag that can be reconfigured by use of zippers into a garment with arm and foot openings, or leggings, or sleeves. The sleeping bag may contain suspenders attached from a suitable point to help carry the garment on a wearer at comfortable height.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,892 to Gonzales shows another convertible sleeping bag. This garment uses a system of zippers that enable reconfiguration as sleeping bag, jump suit, jacket, or vest. As aids to use, separate foot warmers, gloves, and a belt accompany this garment.
A ghillie suit can be constructed by a variety of different techniques. The base fabric often is a mesh or net with large enough openings to permit ready attachment of the leaf-like elements. U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,214 to Muirhead provides a recent example. Strands of jute in lengths from eighteen to twenty-four inches form the leaf-like elements. The mesh or net fabric can be viewed as a grid of many individual squares. A strand of jute is tied to at least one side of each square or to as many as all four sides. The net fabric can be sized and configured as a separate garment, as an attachment for conventional clothing, or as a covering or any type of object from a rifle to a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,460 to Cox shows another type of attached element formed from strips of nylon. These can be sewn or glued to a mesh base. Still another proposal has suggested attaching cloth strips by snaps, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,848 to Shamblin. This variety of assembly techniques shows on-going efforts to produce a realistic and cost-effective ghillie suit.
It would be desirable to create a ghillie suit that offered a high degree of versatility in its use and ability to combine with other similar suits for extended purposes.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the camouflage device of this invention may comprise the following.